Machine for sewing looped fabrics.



No. 809,855 PATENTED JAN. 9

H. STARR & F. L. NICHOLS. MACHINE FOR SEWING LOOPBD FABRICS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1904.

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H. STARR & Fl L. NICHOLS. MACHINE FOR SEWING LOOPED FABRICS. APPLICATION FILED MAY12,1904.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HYMAN STARR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND FRANK L. NICHOLS, OF. STAM- FORD, CONNECTICUT; SAID NICHOLS ASSIGNOR TO SAID STARR.

MACHINE FOR SEWING .LOOPED FABRICS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Application filed May 12,1904. Serial No. 207,649.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, HYMAN STARR, of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the State of New York, and FRANK L. NIoHoLs, of Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Sewing Looped Fabrics, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for sewing looped fabrics, and more particularly to machines of the point-ring type designed for the finishing or interconnection of knit webs provided at one or more edges with a series of unconnected loops, and among the objects of the invention is the provision of a machine of this class in which the operative parts are so arranged as to permit free access to the needle and looper and at the same time to all parts of the point-ring in order that the output of the machine will be materially increased, owing to increased facility and consequent rapidity with which the sewing operation can be effected.

The invention also aims to provide a machine in which the motion-transmitting mechanism is so arranged as to be readily accessible for lubrication, but nevertheless out of the way of the operator or operators while working upon the machine, so that the liability of accident caused by contact with the motion-transmitting mechanism is thereby decreased in a marked degree.

ith these and other advantages in view the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described, and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improved machine for sewing looped fabrics. Fig. 2 is a top view of the machine shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail elevation, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the mechanism for driving the looper-point ring. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section on line 5 5, Fig. 4t. Fig. 6 is a top view, on a larger scale than Fig. 2, of a portion of the mechanism. Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 7 7, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a portion of the mechanism adjacent the needle. Fig. 9is a vertical transverse section of the clutch-operating mechanism, taken on line 9 9, Fig. 6. Fig. 10 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same, taken on line 10 10, Fig. 6; and Fig. 11 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section of the point-ring brake,taken on line 11 11,Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates a suitable standard upon which the operating mechanism of the machine is supported. A yoke a is mounted on the top of the standard A and secured thereto by a set-screw n, said yoke supporting the bed-plate B of the machine. Said bed-plate is provided near its periphery with a flange a, which forms a bearing for a looper point ring (4 The looper-point ring is secured rotatably to the bed-plate by means of a stay-ring a which is secured by screws to the bed-plate and which projects into an annular recess formed above a flange a at the interior circumference of the looper-point ring. The looper-point ring a is provided at its under side with rack-teeth a which are received in a groove (0 of the bedplate and which are engaged by a pinion a, which is mounted on a shaft a, supported in bearings below the bed-plate. The shaft a receives intermittent rotary motion by means of a pawl (t which is mounted eccentrically upon the driving-shaft b and which engages a ratchet-wheel b, secured to the opposite end of the shaft a The driving-shaft b is supported in bearings (Z and e on the bed-plate B and is disposed diametrically of the latter, being of such a length as not to extend at either end over the point-ring. The shaft Z) is provided with a pulley (Z, to which rotary motion is transmitted by a driving-belt from an overhead shaft in the usual manner. The looper-points b are secured in position radially of the bed-plate and point-ring by any suitable means, such as segmental clampingbars 6 which clamp the inner angularly-bent ends of said points between themselves and the point-ring, as indicated in Figs. 5 and 7.

The needle 5 is mounted on the lower end of a needle-arm 12 which is fulcrumed at its upper end to a stationary bracket 6 supported upon the bed-plate B. The needle-arm If is actuated by means of a connecting-rod Z),

which is strapped to an eccentric on the driva guide-pin a of the bracket al through a tension-regulating device 0, around the lower end of the needlearm I2 and thence through the needle-eye, which is in proximity to the point of the needle. Cooperating with the needle is a looper-hook 0 which is actuated by means of a universally-pivoted operatingarm 0 said arm being pivoted to swing vertically upon a suitable bracket 0 and the latter pivoted to swing horizontally upon the bed-plate, as clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The arm 0 is provided with a laterally-projecting pin 0 which is held in contact with the face of a suitably-formed cam 0 secured upon the drivin -shaft b intermediately of the length thereof and in proximity to the center of the bed-plate, said pin being retained in engagement with the cam by a helical spring 0, interposed between the arm 0 and the upper end of a post 0 on the bed-plate.

A stationary guard 0 is arranged at a point adjacent to the ends of the loo per-points below the needle, so as to prevent the forcing of the loops of the fabric 0d the points by the needle during the operation of looping. The guard a is supported by any suitable meanssuch, for instance, as acurved bracket-arm 0 which extends outwardly over the looper-points and below the same sufficiently to clear the needle 6* and which is secured at its inner end to the stationary ring a or other suitable point of support.

To preventthe momentum of the intermittently-rotating looper-point ring from being carried beyond the point to which it is moved by its actuating pawl-and-ratchet device, a brake mechanism is provided, which consists of a segmental plate m, that is secured by its shank by a screw 8 to the bed-plate B and by a screw S to the stay-ring (6 said plate on being provided at its outer end with a shoe 3/ of felt or other material, which bears on the looper-point ring (0 as shown in Figs. 2 and 11.

Upon the driving-shaftb is splined one member cl of a clutch, which member is adapted to engage the opposite member of the clutch on the driving-pulleycl. Theclutch member (Z is actuated longitudinally upon the drivingshaft 6 by means of an operating-rod d suitably mounted in one bearing (Z of the shaft and provided with a handle 6Z When the rod d is moved in outward direction toward the adjacent end of the shaft by means of the handle CZ, the clutch member d is disengaged from the opposite clutch member, and thereby the pulley CZ permitted to revolve upon the shaft without driving the machine.

-W'hen the clutch-operating rod d is moved inwardly toward the pulley, the clutch member cl is carried into engagement with the clutch member of the pulley, and thereby the shaft and pulley coupled for driving the machine. The clutch member (Z is retained in either position to which it is moved by means of a pin (Z which is actuated toward the operating-rod d by means of a spring 01 and adapted to engage either of two grooves d of the rod (Z and thereby lock the operatingrod and the clutch member either in or out of engagement with the pulley. Atits opposite end the driving-shaft Z) is provided with a crank-handle (Z for operating the machine by hand whenever such operation should be desirable.

All the operating and motion-transmitting parts with the exception of the shaft a", which is located below the bed-plate and in the space formed by the yoke 60, are mounted on the bed-plate and within the stationary stay-ring (0 so as to be fully within sight for lubrica- I tion, adjustment, and repairs. The oscillating needle, the looper, and the stationary guard are located at a point of the bed-plate and looper-point ring at right angles to the driving-shaft in such a manner that free access is given to the looper-point ring at its entire circumference for looping flat and circular fabrics, one operator being located in front of the looping devices and another operator at the opposite side for placing the fabric on the looper-points and feeding them then on to the operator at the looping devices.

The motions of the looper-point ring, needle, and looper and the manner of cooperation of the needle and looper are substantially the same as in the looping-machines heretofore constructed. The fabric having at its edge the unconnected loops which are to be connected is placed upon the machine by placing the successive lo'ops' upon the successive looper-points. The looper-point ring is rotated intermittently by means of the pawl-andratchet mechanism previously described, the intermittent motion taking place while the needle is oscillated in backward direction that is to say, toward the center of the machine. The looper-point ring having been moved so as to bring a fresh loop into the path of the needle, the latter advances, enters the loop so as to carry the thread through the same, and then withdraws, the further operations during the advance of the needle and thereafter being performed cooperatively therewith by the hook, said steps of intermittent feed of the point-ring and advance of the needle and cooperation of the book being successively repeated, whereby a continuous edge is formed on the open loops of the fabric.

The following are some of the advantages as compared with the machines for sewing looped fabrics heretofore in use:

First. A greater degree of accessibility is provided to all parts of the machine and in particular to those parts adjacent the needle, whereby the operator is enabled to take his position directly in front of the needle and looper.

Secondly. When joining or sewingtogether two separate knit fabrics, two operators may be continuously and simultaneously employed on one machine. In such case one operator is located directly in front of the hook and needle and the other at a point diametrically opposite thereto. The latter operator places the loops of one fabric upon the looper-points and the operator at the needle subsequently places the loops of the second fabric upon the same points next to the loops of the first fabric, so that the needle passes through both loops, and thereby connects the two fabrics.

Thirdly. The looping of Hat and circular fabrics can be accomplished with great facility and without breaking of the thread in one continuous operation, forming a perfectlycontinuous edge. The loops of the fabric are applied continuously upon the looperpoints at one side of the needle and as fast as looped are removed at the opposite side of the needle, so that by a circular movement of the tubular fabric the continuous looping of the entire fabric is accomplished. I/Vhen a ribbed border is to be joined to a circular web, two operators may be simultaneously employed. The first, located diametrically opposite to the needle, performs the primary operation of picking up and placing the flat-ribbed border upon the looper-points, while the other, seated at the needle, handles the circular web, joins the same to the ribbed border, and sews these together in one continuous operation.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a machine for sewing looped fabrics, the combination of a bed-plate provided with an opening, a rotatable looper point ring guided on said bed-plate and provided on its lower surface with a plurality of gear-teeth,

a driving-shaft mounted on said bed-plate within said point-ring and above said opening, a second shaft mounted in bearings beneath said bed-plate and carrying a ratchet-wheel, a gear-wheel on said second shaft meshing with the gear-teeth on said point-ring, an eccentrically mounted pawl on said drivingshaft extending downwardly through the opening in the bed and engaging said ratchetwheel, a needle and a looper adjacent said looper-point ring, and means for transmitting movement from said driving-shaft to said needle and looper.

2. In a machine for sewing looped fabrics, the combination of an upright supportingstandard, a yoke supported on the same, a bed-plate mounted on the yoke, a drivingshaft journaled on the bedplate, a looperpoint ring guided in the bed-plate and provided with a circular rack at the under side, a second shaft supported in bearings at the under side of the bed-plate and passing through the yoke, a pinion on the second shaft meshing with the circular rack on the looper-point ring, means for transmitting intermittent rotary motion from the driving-shaft to the second shaft, an oscillating needle, a laterallyreciprocating looper, and mechanism supported on the bed-plate for transmitting motion to the needle and looper.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we have signed our names in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HYMAN STARR. FRANK L. NICHOLS.

Witnesses:

HENRY J. SUHRBIER, FRANK E. BOYCE. 

